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Brazil - Profile

Facts

Brazilian culture is a rich mixture of European, African and Latin American, all of which can be seen in its world-famous Carnival. It is this Carnival which brings many sailors to Brazil, those who arrive from the north sailing for Salvador in Bahia, while those coming from the south have the opportunity to see the greatest show of them all in Rio de Janeiro.

In between these two cities, to the north as well as to the south, stretches a long coastline of varied scenery and just as varied climate and weather conditions. There are interesting places to explore all along the coast, but perhaps the best cruising ground is the area between São Sebastiao Island and Rio de Janeiro, which has many protected anchorages and attractive scenery, slightly marred by the increasing number of oil rigs.

The River Amazon also has an appeal for some cruising sailors and it can be navigated for well over one thousand miles giving the opportunity to see some of the interior of this huge country.

For many sailors the first taste of Brazil lies 250 miles offshore on the island of Fernando de Noronha, while another Brazilian outpost in the Atlantic is better avoided, the St Peter and St Paul rocks near the equator, where landing is only possible in the calmest of weathers.

Yacht clubs are usually welcoming to foreign visitors, with the exception of the Rio Yacht Club, where visitors are not at all welcome. Contacting any club via e-mail to make a reservation or any inquiry however, is most likely a waste of time. On the whole you just have to show up, and hope for the best. This can be very frustrating however it´s the way things work in this part of the world.

Getting work done: Clubs with a large fleet of yachts, often motor yachts, have good repair facilities or access to them. Finding a reliable contractor in Brazil however can be hard. It's also difficult to obtain and even import spare parts. Services tend to be alot slower during Carnival period.

Provisioning: Good sized well priced supermarkets. In Salvador and Recife these are attached to big shopping malls and a taxi drive away from the port.

Security

Reports 2018

In February 2018, a Swiss cruising couple were anchored in Fortaleza overnight when their locked yacht was boarded, broken into and they were subjected to being tied up and beaten whilst their boat was robbed and ransacked. Read report here.

Reports 2017

In December 2017, a cruiser, single-handing, was sailing up the river to Santos at night when he was robbed at gun point by 5 armed men who approached the boat from a fast dinghy. A mobile phone was taken.

In July of 2017 four armed bandits came into the bar of the Jacaré Marina and robbed at gunpoint a group of cruisers who were relaxing and making use of the Marina's Wifi. Their haul included several phones, computers, tablets and wallets. Read report here.

A cruising boat was boarded April 2014, the crew attacked, beaten and robbed within moments of anchoring in Fortaleza. See report here.

Yachts visiting Belem have been boarded and robbed in the past, and sadly in March 2014 another similar attack was reported by a cruising boat. See report here. This port is best avoided.

In the Salvador, Itaparica, Morro de Sao Paulo area of Brazil there is a significant amount of armed crime. Cruisers should be be wary about walking ashore at night and lock themselves into their boats at night. Two boats have reported an armed boarding, assault and robbery so far in 2014 (see latest report here).

Earlier Reports:

Four boats anchored outside the two marinas in the Port area of Salvador, were boarded and robbed in the first 2 weeks of June 2012. It is strongly recommended that, unless taking up a berth in one of the marinas, vessels should avoid anchoring in the Port area. For alternative options see Salvador de Bahia.

A notice published at the Aratu Yacht Club warns members and visiting yachts not to visit secluded anchorages in the Bahia de Todos os Santos. An American yacht was boarded at gunpoint at the anchorage known as "the waterfall" in February 2012, the Captain advised that he was unaware that such a warning was in force.

It is advisable when cruising Brazil to avoid isolated anchorages.

Levels of crime and violence are high, particularly in major cities. You should be particularly vigilant before and during the festive and Carnival periods. Bank card fraud is common.

Last updated March 2018.

Weather

Brazil's climate varies greatly. Most of the northern part of the Brazilian coast is under the influence of NE winds which are strongest in the summer between December and February. The rest is in the SE trade wind belt, which predominates from March to August. During the austral winter months the SE trades have a lot of south in them, and sailing down the coast can be difficult. An eye must be kept on the weather, as the winds can change direction suddenly putting a boat on to a dangerous lee shore.

Yellow Fever in Brazil:
Alert in Rio de Janeiro and Angra.
The outbreak of yellow fever is no longer a health alert and has become a real problem. Therefore, the vaccine should be included in the plans of the tourists, without diminishing the use of other measures: repellent, mosquito net, insecticide, trousers and long sleeves, etc.
The evolution is so rapid that the usual sources of information like the CDC of the USA or the travelers medicine websites and their maps are outdated. The news portals of Brazil follow the problem more closely. The area of ​​Rio de Janeiro and Angra dos Reis, historical nautical destinations, have been punished punctually in recent days.
Mortality in Angra is the data of the day: 7 out of 12 reported cases.
The overall mortality in the state of Rio de Janeiro is 45%.
The rest of the statistics:
Minas Gerais 225 cases with 76 deaths.
São Paulo with 181 cases and 53 deaths.
Rio de Janeiro with 74 cases and 33 fatal.
Updated map of the risk areas:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWcnjaVXUAAqILi.jpg
Omar Wetdoc

banuD
says:

Oct 03, 2016 01:23 PM

We're on anchor in ıtaparica for almost 4 months now, and havent been anywhere else so comfortable so far. You can leave your dinghy at marina, get fresh water for free, and people are very friendly if you're friendly. Had no safety problems so far, however we lock the boat as been warned by many people. It's also lovely to sail around, to Rio Paraguacu, Tororo waterfall etc..Nature is amazing, loved it all...Just finding yatching equipments even in Salvador is very very difficult. So if anyone has any experience finding rigging materials, would be great to learn.
banu, S/Y Gezi

svRevelations.com
says:

Jul 16, 2015 01:28 AM

We spend 5 months in Brazil and thoroughly enjoyed it! Three months at Terminal Nautico, Salvador, two weeks in Recife and four weeks at Jacare Village Marina in Cabedelo. Nor once did we feel threatened in any way nor did we encounter any difficulties. Everybody was helpful and mostly went out of their way to be of assistance. We extensively sailed around the Salvador (Bahia de Todos Santos) area and visited many popular and remote anchorages. We hired a vehicle and drove over 2400 kilometers visiting many inland towns and villages. Everywhere we went, we met generous and helpful people across the entire spectrum - rich and poor, old and young. Marcello Brochini from Bahia Boats in Salvador went out of his way to show us more of Brazilian life - he can also assist in importing spare parts and yacht equipment duty free. Crime is certainly not as common some people would want you to believe and we have seen far worse in some sophisticated first world countries. Learn a few Portuguese words (hardly anybody can speak English), relax, take it easy, mix with the laid back Brazilian people, don't expect things done in a rush, make sure to stock up on their Cachaca - you will have a great time and then some more!

kathmcnulty
says:

May 18, 2015 02:34 AM

Salvador and Bahia de Todos Santos are brilliant. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and helpful. We have been here two months and loved every minute. We have stayed at the Terminal Nautica in Salvador and sailed to many places in the bay. We have visited many places in Salvador by bus and on foot and been to Chapada Diamantina NP. We have felt safe and had no problems - only friendship and generosity. Come to Brazil, you'll love it. Don't let the security column put you off, just take the precautions you would anywhere. And learn a bit of Brazilian on the crossing, it will go a long way. Kath, Caramor, Salvador de Bahia

Thomas Rupp
says:

Mar 30, 2015 11:20 AM

I'm in Itiparica since one week. During this time one boat was boarded during the night and robbed (the owners and their dog were on the boat sleeping and the boat was open, they noticed the theft the next morning),
one couple were attacked by 4 locals with machetes whilst on the beach to the left of the marina during the afternoon, and their bag was stolen and one boat was boarded during the day while the owners were at the marina. Luckily another boat noticed the thieves on board and chased them in their dinghy.
Whilst these thieves were caught and hopefully the nightmare is over, cruisers should be careful.
All of the involved boats are in the anchorfield directly outside the marina.
I will tell the 3 couples about noonsite and see if they can send in first-hand reports.
Tom
Itiparica, 30.03.2015